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Here
are the latest Comments
from IBM employees:
Comment
10/13/08:
to -Wondering-: That's like asking to fill out a comment
card for the breakfast you just had on the Titanic...are you serious? You make
ME wonder... -youmakemewonder-
Comment
10/13/08:
Does anyone know when the annual manager survey goes out to employees,
so we can "rate" our managers? -Wondering-
Comment
10/13/08:
A cautionary tale: My combined cash balance settlement and 401k
was $850k two years ago. I rolled it into an IRA and proceeded to bulk it up
from there. It actually reached 950 before the crash. Now at 775 it is lower
than on retirement day. I did manage to get some of it into cash before TSHTF.
Now all I can do is wait for the government(s) to get things back on track.
-Ironmonger-
Comment
10/09/08:
Let's talk about IBM's 401k, in light of what has happened in the
last two weeks.
In 2007, the market on October 9th (1 year ago) was at 14,164.53.
For example, I had $35,147 total in my 401k account on that day, 10/09/07.
Today, the market went to 8579.19 a difference of 5585.34... my 401k is $39,347...a
plus of only $4200. Now most people would say that is a
win situation; and I have to admit that I moved all of my stock funds out and
into Stable Fund or the Bonds and savings funds in July of
this year. If I had left it in Large Company, etc., I probably would have lost
much of it in these last two weeks. Now think about what
would have happened if Social Security was privatized, like George Bush, John
McCain, and Phil Gramm wanted to do during Bush's 2nd
term...Me and thousands like me, would have lost the entire ship. We would've
been sunk, period. Even though that didn't happen to me; I
was still only able to make $4200 in a year's time. That means the projected
growth percentage for the total 401k, from the 1990's almost
completely evaporated. I'm sure my example is not for most IBM retirees; but,
my point is that retirement pensions should not be 'risked' in the stock market.
Cash balance and 401k's just don't cut it for long term security. We've been
lied to and sold a BS story for over 25 years (IBM 401k plans began in 1983,
as I recall). The American working people have been hoodwinked by a retarded
P.T Barnum; otherwise known as Corporate America. The playing field needs to
be leveled. -oldmanlookatmylife-
Comment
10/04/08:
Well IBMer's...anyone check where the your Payroll Help desk is
? ITs IN MANILA....All of your PERSONAL DATA is there. Your name, SOCIAL SECURITY
#, BIRTHDATE, ADDRESS, everything. The service is pathetic, they can't answer
a simple question. Watch out ! Your in great risk of ID theft. This all to save
a few bucks and put the employees in danger. OH...by the way, none of the executives
had their data moved there. WHATS THAT TELL YOU ? -mad as hell-
Comment
10/04/08:
-Tulsa_employee: Yes, quite true and good advice. But I think IBM
retirees and those close to retirement are still invested in the higher risk
funds to do the best they can now to outpace inflation and have some money to
pay for rising health care costs that IBM has been imposing on them. Most of
these folks could not have foreseen the burden of these costs and were always
told by IBM "don't worry about your retirement health care coverage, you'll
have it paid for by IBM as part of your overall compensation package as a longtime
employee of IBM". Money market and stable value investing justs doesn't
keep up with these rising health care costs. So it is probably a case of "damned
if you do and damned if you don't". -anonymous-
Comment
10/04/08:
If IBM needs to do another incestuous stock buback to try to artificially
boost the P/E ratio and attractiveness of it's stock and raise the proce of
it for it (like they done earlier to the tune of I believe $11,000,000,000)
and if it finds it tough to get credit for it guess who will lose their job?
(look in the mirror. Might very well be you). If you have a union contract you
can have a better chance of not being a victim of IBM's slash, stab, and cut
personnel policies. Without one your simply a frog in a pot of water on a stove
with the heat being turned up. -creditornot-
Comment
10/03/08:
Silver Lining ? Well...the votes are in and the bailout passed.
But make no mistake about it, our problems are just beginning. There might be
a silver lining in this storm cloud though. The last week or so has seen a tremendous
outpouring of citizen involvement in our government. So much so, that the House
and Senate mail servers crashed. The talking heads on TV mention that their
in-boxes are clogged too. Great! The fear in Washington now is along the lines
of Adm. Yamamoto's famous quote about "having awakened
a sleeping giant". So what now? For one, let's not go back to sleep. Take
the time to write your congress critters once a week or so. If you're involved
in causes, let them know your position. At least remind them of your approval/disapproval
of their voting record and you are keeping your eye on them. It's an election
year so they're more sensitive than usual. (You are registered to vote, aren't
you?) Now is not the time to go back to sleep. -Neal Watkins-
Comment
10/02/08:
If retirees are getting their money decimated by the current stock
market issues, then it looks like they're invested incorrectly. They shouldn't
be in risky investments but rather conservative, income-producing funds/investments.
If you're 5+ years away from retirement, then you can be happy with your continued
investing each pay period since you're lowering your overall cost per share
- you'll do great as the market rebounds. Someone else said that they were moving
their money all around trying to keep it all safe and ended up getting hit?
Had he/she just been patient, continued their dollar-cost averaging, it would
have worked out well over time. As it turns out, those "paper" losses
became real losses. NO BAILOUT!! -Tulsa_employee-
Comment
10/01/08:
The documentary is called "The
Corporation" and I highly recommend it.
the corporation
part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x2qONe-EvE
part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGlfMpYcIOo
part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoVOmZ8W3tg
part 4 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cpYkLkV6VQ
part 5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eLV92pwNB8
part 6 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa498HbK8YQ
part 7 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRIv5xwlSdU
part 8 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8EfdaThfe0
part 9 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y-cA26DpWw
part 10 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMIHTuZSN-I
part 11 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-nbGrie2Og
part 12 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU5A8J79dwI
part 13 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXEJSWm8HMc
part 14 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxcz_-aS-m8
part 15 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGDKBCdF1S4 -IBM
no more-
Alliance
reply: Thanks for the information. We have decided to let the visitors copy
and paste the link to their browsers, rather than auto-link them here.
Comment
10/01/08:
Ubuntu2u2- interesting point about corporations being "citizens".
I watched a documentary not too long ago which focused on the aspect of corporations
being considered an individual. They did psychological evaluations of corporations
as if they were really an individual. The methods and comparisons any shrink
would use to evaluate a real human being. The diagnosis was that corporations
have serious psychological problems which if found in a real human being, they
would be institutionalized. -dubious-
Comment
10/01/08:
TO >> -Last One Standing- >> As you are probably aware,
these actions have alternative purposes behind them. What happens when the work
function of that new office entity is TRANSFERRED to a new SERVICE CENTER, in
the BRIC ? If they offer you the chance to MOVE ON YOUR OWN, don't do it. Ask
those from IGF what happened after they moved themselves to Atlanta.
-no_ky-
Comment
10/01/08:
-Mule Skinner-: You are right, and it is tragic that the
people you speak of have, most likely, already lost a great deal of their investments;
depending on what they were invested in. I recognize that there will be much
pain. I'm exposed to the same pain. My 401k was nearly decimated by the past
few years of stock market and bond market failure. I scrambled to move my money
around to protect it; only to be fooled into putting it back into the market.
I lost over $10,000.00 because I was invested in a 401k REIT Fund that ballooned
rapidly and then busted, last year.
I'm not eligible to withdraw my 401k money yet, without a penalty. Yet, I sure
could use it to live on while I look for a full time job. I realize that my
previous post was harsh. My point is, this whole economic tragedy must end and
the working people and middle class must join together and stop accepting the
continuous calamity that Wall Street puts us into. We need to get reform legislation
moving to re-regulate what was deregulated in the 1980's. One idea is to remove
the 'citizen' status that corporations were able to get during the 1980's decade.
Corporations need not be treated as though they have the same Bill Of Rights
that individuals do. It's nonsense. The reality is that Corporations do not
affirm a real citizen's rights, inside the workplace. You can't speak freely
about anything while you are on private property and employed by a company;
if that speech is determined to be anti-company. You can't redress grievances
without being punished; even fired, if you work for a company that opposes unions.
Remember the mantra: Of the people, By the people, and For the people. The word
"corporation" is not found, in the Constitution's Bill of Rights.
To change those laws and rules is not regressive. It is revival of the original
intention of this country's founders. -Ubuntu2u2-
Comment
09/30/08:
We had a meeting with our 2nd line mgr. He told us that they are
considering making people go back into the office. The two locations are Boulder,CO
and East Fishkill, NY. Mgmt has realized that there is a greater ability to
learn when you have all the support personnel for the accounts in one place.
It's currently under review, and mgmt hasn't made the final decision yet. So,
yes, they are considering it.... and No, it isn't written in stone yet. The
next few months will tell. -Last One Standing-
Comment
09/30/08:
Ubuntu2u2 -- Many IBMers are now retiring without a defined
pension. What they have instead is investments in the stock market, so that
a crash for them is bad news. These are not fat cats, but people who were forced
out of the defined pension by IBM. -Mule Skinner-
Comment
09/30/08:
This may sound harsh or even wildly irresponsible; but I just can
't help myself. In light of the major stock market crash yesterday and the congressional
denial of the 'bailout' package, I believe we should 'stay the course'... That
is, absolutely DON'T approve ANY bailout package whatsoever! Let the "Free
Market " collapse in on itself. Let the borrowers and lenders suffer for
their greed and stupidity. Let enough financial blood be drained; so as to require
a total transfusion of new economic laws to replace all the Reagan era legislation
that helped lead us to this disaster. We need the govt. to root out the greedy
liberals, conservatives and independents that truly don 't represent their own
party or the American people. The super wealthy must suffer at least as greatly
as working people have since the 1980 's and 1990 's. We need to inspire the
average American worker to revive his/her love of an "honest day's work,
for an honest day's pay". We need to stop accepting the Madison Avenue
BS that permeates our TV 's and the Internet. The selling of upper middle class
ideas must stop, i.e. Hummers, vacation homes, moving millions of dollars offshore
in the Cayman islands to 'protect' it from being taxed. These practices and
ideas must die. I know, I know; pretty radical. But; considering what has occurred
in the past week or two, what I 'm saying isn't so radical. Yes. People that
have already suffered will suffer more. It will be hard and cruel unless; we
work together to change things.
Stop with the Left or Right ideology and get practical. Get the laws reverted
to benefit the majority.. not the minority that control our economic path. Work
with each other to demand a union contract. Do it, don 't just talk about it.
Let 's start using our heads for something besides a hat rack! Call it what
you will...it could prove to be a real "new era " of change for working
people everywhere. -Ubuntu2u2-
Comment
09/29/08:
Work from home is not ending for all IBM employees. Just for some
- certain SA teams, & their management will be required back at the office.-rumor
has it-
Comment
09/28/08:
Heard that work at home was ending. Something called GDF. Back to
Boulder and Fishkill to start early 2009. -Anonymous-
Comment
09/28/08:
It would
appear that Mr Akers' oversight at Lehman Brothers was not particularly acute.
-Mule Skinner-
Comment
09/25/08:
"He
serves as the chairman of the Compensation and Benefits Committee and as a member
of the Finance and Risk Committee." LOL Now I know where these
brooks learn their skills. As CEO of IBM! If I were Mr. Akers I'd be ashamed
to show my face anywhere. These greedy bastards like Akers, Gerstner, and now
Palmashito are ruining this country. Man does that make me depressed.
:-( -IhateIBMCEOs-
Comment
09/24/08: So,
one of our former CEOs is on the board at Lehman Brothers--check out the committees
that he chairs!! Unbelievable....
What is SJP on these days?:
John F. Akers, Director
Retired Chairman of International Business Machines Corporation Mr. Akers, a
private investor, is the retired chairman of the Board of Directors of International
Business Machines Corporation. Mr. Akers served as chairman of the Board of
Directors and chief executive officer of IBM from 1985 until his retirement
in 1993, completing a 33-year career with IBM. Mr. Akers is a director of W.R.
Grace & Co. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the California
Institute of Technology and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as the former
chairman of the Board of Governors of United Way of America. Mr. Akers was also
a member of former President George Bush's Education Policy Advisory Committee.
Mr. Akers has been a director of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. since 1996. He
serves as the chairman of the Compensation and Benefits Committee and as a member
of the Finance and Risk Committee. -anon-
Comment
09/23/08:
To Barged
Away- You're right that energy use is a major and escalating issue with systems.
The article referenced noted that the Google patent also included wave-based
electrical generation capability on the barges. If you look at some of the world
wind maps, the most windy areas are typically not on land masses, but over oceans,
particularly where the colder climates are. Put wind and wave power generation
capability on the barges, tow them to where the waves and winds are strong and
ocean temperatures are cool and anchor them. The wind and waves generate the
power and the cold ocean water can be used to cool the systems. None of the
above prevents driving the labor costs down by escaping countries with strong
labor laws. Another angle is whether the income generated by a barge in international
waters would be subject to taxes. I'd assume that such a barge must be registered
under some nation's flag. The owner could register it under whatever country
gave then the biggest break on taxes. Interesting. -Jack the Pirate-
Comment
09/23/08:
CEO murdered by mob of sacked Indian workers:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4810644.ece
submitted to Alliance
by -bluepiglet- and -gadfly-
Allaince reply: We have been receiving more comments with this same link. We
will not post any duplicates. This one should suffice.
Comment
09/22/08:
Relative
to putting plants on a barge, Cisco (the leader in network switches) has found
that the rise in electricity (power and cooling) costs trumps that of labor
costs, so locates parts of its businesses accordingly. IBM is mentioned in the
article as well. http://www.forbes.com/magazines/forbes/2008/0929/068.html
-Barged away-
Comment
09/22/08:
Angry IT
workers: A ticking time bomb? IT workers are mad as hell and they're not going
to take it anymore. What can you do to keep things from reaching the point of
no return?
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/08/09/22/39FE-IT-management-chasm_1.html
-Reaching the Edge-
Comment
09/21/08:
are program
managers considered managers, or are they eligible to join a union? what is
the definition of a manager - personnel manager? tks -no one-
Alliance reply: "managers" who hire and/or fire can not
join. Program managers that don't hire or fire, can join.
Comment
09/19/08:
Back in 1998, Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, said "Ideally
you'd have every plant you own on a barge", ready to move if any national
government tried to impose restraints on the factories' operations, or if workers
demanded better wages and working conditions. Consider this -
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/googles-search-goes-out-to-sea/
Call it Google’s
data navy.
The search and advertising company has filed for a patent that describes a“water-based
data center.” The idea is that Google would create mobile data center
platforms out at sea by stacking containers filled with servers, storage systems
and networking gear on barges or other platforms. This would let Google push
computing centers closer to people in some regions where it’s not feasible,
cost-effective or as efficient to build a data center on land. In short, Google
brings the data closer to you, and then the data arrives at a quicker clip.
Perhaps even more intriguing to some, Google has theorized about powering these
ocean data centers with energy gained just from water splashing against the
side of the barges. “In general, computing centers are located on a ship
or ships, which are then anchored in a water body from which energy from natural
motion of the water may be captured, and turned into electricity and/or pumping
power for cooling pumps to carry heat away from computers in the data center,”
Google writes in the patent application. Historically, Google has been unique
among the largest service providers in the amount of custom work it’s
willing to do on data center equipment. It’s no secret that Google builds
its own servers and even networking equipment. Microsoft, however, has recently
indicated that it, too, wants to start crafting custom servers for its massive
data centers. The software maker is in the midst of building one of the world’s
largest data centers near Chicago that will be comprised of hundreds of data
centers inside shipping containers, the standardized metal boxes that are used
to store cargo in ships. Microsoft is viewing these containers, each with its
own servers, storage and networking equipment, as modules that can be moved
around to get the most computing power possible per square foot. Most of the
major server makers, including Hewlett-Packard, I.B.M., Dell and Sun Microsystems,
have recently created their own data centers in shipping containers that they
sell to service providers, the military and research labs. Google has flirted
with the data center container idea in the past, filing a patent application
for such technology and building a prototype system in the garage of its Mountain
View, Calif., headquarters. With the data centers at sea, Google is talking
about stacking “crane-removable” data center modules on ships. Along
with bringing data closer to consumers, Google argues that floating data centers
could aid the military or help out during a large event. “For example,
a military presence may be needed in an area, a natural disaster may bring a
need for computing or telecommunication presence in an area until the natural
infrastructure can be repaired or rebuilt, and certain events may draw thousands
of people who may put a load on the local computing infrastructure,” Google
writes. “Often, such transient events occur near water, such as a river
or an ocean.” If Google moves forward with the idea, we may have to expand
our definition of “mobile applications.”*****************
I would not dismiss IBM doing precisely this with its data centers - they build
huge barges/ships with living quarters for staff, move the data centers and
minimal jobs there, move the barges/ships to where ever the laws are least protective
of employees and the environment, or move them to international waters to escape
the law entirely, then abuse the hell of the the employees. This would bring
a whole new definition to "slave ships". -jack
the pirate-
Comment
09/17/08:
"And
he has the nerve to cut other peoples pay! IBM CEO Sam Palmisano took home $18.8
million in 2006 and will receive $34.9 million in deferred pay and $33.1 million
in retirement benefits when he leaves IBM."
You people just don't get it. Sammy Palmacrapo and his merry band
of thieves have been plundering IBM and costing you your job. There is no end
in sight until there is a Union to fight back. Is that clear enough for you?
Please support the Alliance! --
Comment
09/16/08:
Folks how
long have we left in the sinking ship! Did I say that? Sorry was to say Server.
Eire Eire Eire Eire -Larry the leprechaun-
Comment
09/16/08:
sick of getting
pay-cuts and higher benefits no end in site. I just joined alliance -VTIBMER-
Comment
09/16/08:
Any chance
of another "sit-in" in Second Life? -----------------------------------
IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced a three-dimensional Virtual Green Data Center
(VGDC) that gives visitors a chance to learn how to manage and improve their
data center energy efficiency without leaving the office. The VGDC, the world's
first interactive green data center, is on the IBM Virtual Business Center Island
in Second Life® and was demonstrated at the Virtual Worlds Expo in Los Angeles,
September 3 & 4. -Neal Watkins-
Comment
09/15/08:
And he has
the nerve to cut other peoples pay! IBM CEO Sam Palmisano took home $18.8 million
in 2006 and will receive $34.9 million in deferred pay and $33.1 million in
retirement benefits when he leaves IBM. -BloodyWellWrong-
Comment
09/14/08:
"Learned
of a new OT lawsuit against IBM through an HR invite asking for input from a
reclassified employee" Probably for IBM California based reclassified
employees if so. Tell HR NO COMMENT on the advice of your legal counsel. IBM
HR will only use those statements that helps them in any potential lawsuit.
Don't help HR. They don't serve your interests legally or personal in any way!
-just_say_no-
Comment
09/14/08:
Learned of
a new OT lawsuit against IBM through an HR invite asking for input from a reclassified
employee. Has anyone else heard about this? -Exhausted-
Comment
09/12/08:
Just letting
you people know I joined...not because I believe in your cause; but because
I read the board. Read about the "membership drive" and figured why
not..since I come and read this thing from time to time. Thought I'd do the
right thing and pay for the privilege. After all, I don't park myself at the
news stand and read the Wall Street Journal for free. -No faith in
Alliance or anything else-
Alliance reply:
Thank you for joining. Please help us understand why you don't believe in our
cause. We will try to answer any questions you have or supply you with information
about unions, organizing, contracts, health and safety, legal issues etc. Send
us an email:
endicottalliance@stny.rr.com
Comment
09/12/08:
Where can
I find a list of contacts for my IBM site? Who is the focal point of contact
for East Fishkill? Who is the contact for RTP? Poughkeepsie? Rochester? San
Jose? Somewhere on this website should provide a list of union team leader names
and their IBM location so we can stop by their office or meet them during lunchtime.
-Wanna Join Union!-
Alliance reply: There is a list and it is under current
office holders on our web site. Let us know where you are located
and we will put you in contact with someone. Email: endicottalliance@stny.rr.com
Comment
09/8/08:
I understand
from the grapevine that IBM has stopped paying standby pay for national holidays
for the non-exempts. Can anyone confirm this? -gadfly-
Comment
09/8/08:
BC - Remember
the childhood meaning of BM -Dehomag-
Comment
09/6/08:
I found this
site when I reached rock bottom, and did a google search for IBM lawsuits, thinking
that I was finally ready to stand up to IBM and its unfair practices, treating
people like machines, and dumping so much work on those left behind after endless
streams of RA's that only a chosen few are meant to survive. Reading the posts
here helped to provide some perspective, that I am not alone, and that I am
powerless against the IBM machine. I have had enough, I have given enough, getting
nothing in return except the honor keeping a job with an impossible workload,
doing work that use to be done by 5 other resources. When will we all say enough?
United we stand a chance, divided, we drop like flies with only a moments notice.
Join the UNION! Stop the IBM abusers, take back your fair share of the profits!
IMJustAnIBMachine -BC-
Comment
09/6/08:
Can everyone
out there please get at least one co worker to join our Union? We need a grass
roots effort. Don't be afraid. Remember if you don't stand for something,
you will fall for anything
-Hudson Valley Beamer-
Comment
09/5/08:
The quote
from the Market Watch article sent by Anonymous basically sums up what Globalism
is: Not patriotic to one's own country. Why? Because the Corporations do not
give a damn for their country of origin; be it the USA or anywhere else. Wave
the flag all you want, it does no good. The US economy is now so tied up with
a $700B deficit that it will be stuck in the loop of Globalistic favoritism
for some time to come. Unemployment numbers released today reveal how much of
a dire situation we are in. Labor is suffering, terribly. As much as most of
us hate to see the stock market fall; we are stuck defending their super-capitalistic
global strategies because we want our 401k accounts to improve. For those of
us who don't have any 401k plans or significant IRA's; the only vehicle is savings
accounts. If your job is in jeopardy of being moved off-shore or outsourced,
then you are the ones that pay the price of Globalism. Your savings are in jeopardy
of running out. Again, IBM is not a USA lover of any kind. Their policy is simple.
Profit. Until the labor movement can wrestle the means of production away from
Corporate Global and level the playing field, we will continue to fall backwards
in time to the point of initial Industrial Revolution era wild eyed Capitalism
and a wholly disadvantaged populace. Globalism is destroying the world commerce,
not improving it. -Ubuntu2u2-
Comment
09/5/08:
Stockshock
- found this article and thought it would help explain the drop in IBM stock.
Market
Watch link
Here are a couple of quotes out of the article:
"While potentially good news for currency traders, a stronger dollar
poses a risk for companies with a significant revenue base coming from offshore.
A weaker currency is good for companies with overseas sales because it makes
their goods cheaper and therefore more competitive in overseas markets. It also
increases the value of their profits when repatriated into their home currency.
When a sharp upswing happens in a short period of time, the risk is that analysts
and investors may not update their expectations in time for the reports. This
can create a risk that reported revenue could miss Wall Street's targets and
put additional pressure on stock prices." Hope that helps.
-Anonymous-
Comment
09/3/08:
Well...!
We certainly see a microcosm of the "haves and have-nots" on this
forum and others. Maybe we all need to reflect on the definition of a "Civil
Society". This is taken from Wikipedia: --------------------------------
note the mention of trade unions -----------------------------
There are myriad of definitions of civil society in post-modern sense. The London
School of Economics Centre for Civil Society working definition is illustrative:
Civil society
refers to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests,
purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from
those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries
between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred
and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors
and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and
power. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered
charities, development non-governmental organizations, community groups, women's
organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade
unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions
and advocacy groups.
The literature
on links between civil society and democracy have their root in early liberal
writings like those of Alexis de Tocqueville. However they were developed
in significant ways by 20th century theorists like Gabriel Almond and Sidney
Verba, who identified the role of civil society in a democratic order as vital.
They argued that the political element of many civil society organizations
facilitates better awareness and a more informed citizenry, who make better
voting choices, participate in politics, and hold government more accountable
as a result. -Neal
Watkins-
Comment
09/3/08:
Anyone have
a clue why IBM stock $ dropped $3.32 yesterday on USA Dow? Did the blue pig
blow another deal or is IBM so tied in to oil price now? Or are the greedy execs
profit taking like mad now? -stockshock-
Comment
08/28/08:
Yahoo
insider trading shows that Sam and Robert have cashed out about $40M in the
last two weeks. It is good to be king..... http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=ibm
-gadfly-
Comment
08/28/08:
IS THIS TRUE
??? The more people I talk with will not join the union because they are afraid
that their managers are notified if they join....is this true ?? if not that
needs to go on a union paper and put in break rooms -vtibmer-
Alliance reply: The signup forms are union confidential. IBM managers are not
allowed to see them and we certainly don't share them with the company. That
notice is on updated flyers and on our web site. Spread the word!
Comment
08/28/08:
Boeing gives
up on pension plan modifications - union victory! See what can be done!
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmpension/message/66766
-Neal Watkins-
Comment
08/28/08:
To -gadfly-
Thats why they changed the logo for means service from the triangle to the lips
from the Rolling Stones albums. Cuz IBM means LIP service. Various theme songs
go along with it. HR's is "I cant get no satisfaction". Sammys is
"Sympathy for the Devil." Payrolls is " You cant always get what
you want." -Exodus2007-
Comment
08/27/08:
Found this
regarding OT in NYS:
Q: What are the
regulations regarding overtime?
A: Covered employees
who work overtime must be paid at a rate that is one and one-half times their
regular, "straight-time" hourly rate of pay. For non-residential
employees, this overtime rate applies to all time over 40 hours in a payroll
week.
For residential
employees ("live-in" workers), this overtime rate applies to all
time over 44 hours in a payroll week.
The overtime requirement
is based on hours worked in a given payroll week. Thus, time and one-half,
double-time -- or any amount higher than the agreed rate -- is not required
simply because the work is performed after eight hours per day or on a Saturday
or Sunday. -CanDoMath-
Comment
08/27/08:
EFK'd - I
don't think NYS law says OT is anything over 8 in a week. I think that's in
CA. I used to work as a contractor on AWS and when our agency changed hands
they changed the rules on us (surprise) and got away with paying us OT for anything
over 80 in 2 weeks. So we went from 36hr pay alternating with 40hr + 8hr OT
pay to getting paid once every two weeks for 80hr plus 4hr OT, still working
the same AWS idiocy with evenings, weekends and holidays shot to hell as bad
as ever but with less pay. Same kind of crap IBM terms a "pay remix".
They all do it and spin it desperately to make you see it as a godsend, somehow.
They must think we can't do math. -CanDoMath-
Comment
08/26/08:
To -IBM_stinks-
: Best of luck to you on your deployment. -Mistressofthei5-
Comment
08/26/08:
I will say
one good thing about IBM. I am deploying with my Reserve unit for 1 year. Unlike
many other employers, IBM still pays me a pay differential while deployed. So
I'll be making about $1,000 extra each month while on duty. Plus I have a position
held for me while I'm gone (in the midst of layoffs). So, yes, IBM stinks. But
I will give credit where credit is due. Several of my fellow soldiers don't
have this benefit. However, I'll probably come back from deployment only to
quit IBM and find a better job elsewhere :-) -IBM_stinks-
Comment
08/26/08:
If you had
any lingering doubt about how this company is being run....allow me to give
you this example. A 31 year veteran was placed on a 90 day plan early this year
for a violation of the Business Conduct Guidelines. The branch business manager
sent out a note to the entire branch to defer their expenses to the next reporting
period at the end of 2007 so the branch could make the fourth quarter numbers.
This is a glaring violation of the BCG as well as a Federal crime. The 31 year
veteran was retired in June and the branch business manager got an "IBM
Means Service" award. -gadfly-
Comment
08/25/08:
My manager
told me today that negative newpaper press articles such as pay cuts in the
Mid Hudson area shouldn't be placed on a wall for others to see and should be
taken down! Any comments regarding your legal right on free speech and company
policy ? Also, for the record are union authorization forms keep private so
IBM management is not aware of who the the person is that submitted the request
form? -Not targeted-
Alliance reply:
Union forms are confidential. IBM will not see them. Regarding the newspaper
articles: You do not have any legal right inside a comapny to put things on
the wall; but if other things are allowed on the wall, the newspaper articles
should be allowed too. We would suggest putting a copy of the Bill of Rights
up, and see what your manager says. There have been attempts by companies to
force employees to take things down. It is an ongoing battle.
Comment
08/25/08:
How can IBM
take 4 hours from the AWS scheduled 48 hour week and put it into the 36 hour
week to make 40 hours? I thought NY State law was overtime after 40 hours a
week! Instead of 8 hours a month overtime shouldn't we be getting paid 36 hours
straight time on one week and 8 hours overtime on the 48 hour week. Totaling
16 overtime hours overtime a month instead of the 8 we will be paid and have
been paid? -EFK'ED-
Comment
08/20/08:
Sent in my
Authorization form, spread the word to your fellow employee's. Layoffs are coming
again! Don't just sit and do nothing, At least sign the form and send it in.
Top brass is ruining this once great company. It's up to us to get things built
back up. Employees built this company and steered the ship for many years. We
gave up the helm to incompetent Captains over the past years. If were going
to get canned lets make it difficult! -EFK'ED-
Alliance reply: Thanks for sending the form. Mass mailings of forms, flyers,
No Pay Cut bumper stickers and other info are going out to workers at EF and
BTV. If you did not get a mailing send us an email at allianceibmunion@gmail.com
Comment
08/19/08:
To Disgused
beyond beleif and LowlySA, I would challenge this to IBM legal and IBM HR if
I were you. The IBM w3 site clearly states"Compensatory time off is not
available as an alternative to daily or weekly overtime payments." And
if your manager tries the AWS line check out the w3 about the criteria, there
is a 20% premium pay for you being on this and if it exceeds 4 weeks it need
upline and executive approval. -going_going_gone-
Comment
08/19/08:
Dear TIP,
The fact that the FAB workers did not hit the Big RED off buttons and shut down
the fab when they got the cuts means a lot. It shows management that the employees
will do nothing to help themselves or others so management can do as they please.
Our fellow workers did nothing when the IT people got a pay cut, why should
they support us. We remain divided and toothless. -In Fishkill-
Comment
08/18/08: Note:
a discussion has started/resumed on http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmpension/message/66693
This is about the difficulty of choosing an IBM/Medicare plan. Maybe not of
great interest to most on this board but it does get traffic from lots of folks.
-Neal Watkins-
===============:
Please see: File name = medical.txt
I decided to compile all my saved messages into a single
file. Many of them are from last year (2007) and are intended to show the thought
process that goes into choosing your IBM/Medicare health plans. Of course, the
plans keep changing but I believe the analysis process for us all will remain
the same. I used one file for convenience. You can download it and pick and
choose the messages that "apply" to you. Thanks again to all that
contributed especially Irv for his insight.
Whenever possible,
I will update this file with thread numbers as more posts come in. That way
the file does not keep growing. I would have liked to do this from the start
but I lost the numbers... Of course, no warranty is expressed or implied....;-)
It's a difficult choice as these notes show, made more so by the choice that
locks you in for future events.
Comment
08/17/08:
I was walking down the aisle in Southbury the other day with an RS/6000 display
console. Two IBM management-type "stuffed shirts" walked past
me. One of them said to the other: "what's that?" the other
said not so sarcastically "a boat anchor!". That's
the problem with this IBM. We got naive, ignorant folks that have no real skills.
They are killing this IBM. These two guys must be making six figure salaries
and myself has a 15% pay cut "remix" and I'm making about half of
that. Where is the justice? I'll tell you. I'm in the Alliance. Damn proud of
it too! We need a union to save this IBM. Without a union this IBM is sad history!
All of you that feel IBM doesn't need a union will be history soon. These stuff
shirted types will make sure of it. -Southbury_guy-
Comment
08/16/08:
Somehow folks have the impression that a union is like a corporation. Deep pockets
and unlimited staff to pay for and organize rallys and events. Folks. We the
IBM workers are the staff when it comes to organizing rallys and events. The
union folks can assist some but as they do not yet represent us they do not
have acces to our co workers or our workplaces to do the organizing. The best
we can hope for is guest speakers and brochures at a rally we organize. The
deep pockets are filled with our dues. The more dues paying members the more
support we can get from the union. If we expect the union to do all the heavy
lifting we will never get organized. Understand this is not like two companies
competeing to employ you. This is a group of people trying to assist you in
organizing your current employer to get you the things you want from an employer
right where you work now. When a union is voted in you will still work for IBM.
But you will have a contract defining your responsibilities and your benefits
so you are dealt with fairly and equitably and so you know what you need to
do to remain employed . Its that simple. -Exodus 2007-
Comment
08/15/08:
I hope your rally is planned very soon because your window of opportunity has
already passed in my eyes. I work with these people every day and everyone is
back to the same routine. It is almost like people are desensitized to the whole
operation. the rally should have been the very next day. -TIP-
Alliance reply:
Still waiting for you to contact us to volunteer to recruit your co-workers
for the rally.
Comment
08/14/08:
Well, I guess that I had spoke too soon. Today the standby time got pulled out
from under me. I will now be forced to FULLY realize my 15% pay cut. And my
manager didn't even have the guts to tell me in person. He sent me an e-mail
just before he left for vacation. -Lowly SA-
Comment
08/14/08:
IBM is a hellhole. Sign your authorization card, and let's make this place a
great place to work again. We can do it.
-tai mai shue-
Alliance reply: Thanks for commenting on the authorization
form on our front page. For now, typing in your information, and then printing,
signing, and mailing the form to us; is the quickest way to increase our numbers
toward a vote. Remember: You must SIGN and date the form before
you mail it. You
are absolutely right! We CAN DO it!!
Comment
08/14/08:
"This Time, wage slaves can't revolt.":
http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/14/news/inflation.wages.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008081414
The last line reads:"The American worker does not have a whole
lot of bargaining power right now," says Simons. "We're looking at
the impoverishment of the American wage earner." -Neal
Watkins-
Comment
08/14/08:
Conceptually, there must be some small bargaining units within IBM. Smaller
than a division; smaller than a site; something down to maybe department level.
Without saying where these are, perhaps someone can explain the rules for defining
a bargaining unit. -Xanthippe-
Alliance reply: The smaller the bargaining unit, the weaker your
position in a company the size of IBM. Also, it is very likely that the small
bargaining unit vote, for instance in Global Services, would have to include
ALL of the division based on what we have seen in other campaigns. Precedents
have been set and not in the workers favor.
Comment
08/14/08:
Here is an idea. The day after we all got screwed out of our AWS pay would have
been a PRIME day to hold a union rally. I saw NOBODY. Now the employees are
back to the same old routine. Pissed for a week and back to work. IBM knows
this. Why is there no rally? -TIP-
Alliance reply: A rally is being planned. With your enthusiasm; we expect you
to help us with the planning and turnout.
Contact us. There was nothing to stop you from gathering
your co-workers together and holding one the next day if you wanted. We don't
believe employees are back to their old routine this time, and the work of getting
people signed up needs to continue. And you need to help with this.
Comment
08/14/08:
China is no longer cheap...You must read this article, especially the comments.
Pay back is a b.... Well, you get the picture. http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/11/smallbusiness/china_no_longer_cheap.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2008081111
-just1waiting-
Comment
08/13/08:
How many more members do we need in order to have this special bargaining
agreement for manufacturing and maintenance workers that just got the shaft
from the AWS pay? -time2vote-
Alliance reply: We can't give out that number, yet. The important
thing is that we need a very strong majority of manufacturing and maintenance
workers in Microelectronics to sign up with the Alliance so we can have a union
vote first. Then when we win, we negotiate with IBM by law. If you haven't signed
up you need to do so ASAP and get your co-workers to sign up (On your break,
lunch or after shift only) It can be done online (from home) or we can mail
hardcopies.
Comment
08/13/08:
"Alliance reply: Yes.
Manufacturing workers and Maintainance workers in the Microelectronics division
can have a seperate bargaining unit."
Then
why don't they have their own bargaining unit? All I ever read here is excuses
why there isn't any union. -Bill W.-
Alliance reply: Because there hasn't been a union vote yet and because not enough
have signed up. It
is that simple. No excuse just the facts.
Comment
08/13/08:
Can us Manufacturing people and those effected by the recent pay reduction organize
without everyone else? Let all the managers and Engineers get out there and
do the work that makes the company real green dollars. So what, send everything
to China, India or some other far off land. When that's threatened maybe the
'support people' will also join in seeing as their jobs will follow the cash
right to China and India. Looking
for a new job! -EFK'ED-
Alliance reply:
Yes. Manufacturing
workers and maintainance workers in the Microelectronics division can have a
seperate bargaining unit.
Comment
08/13/08:
545 PEOPLE By Charlie Reese
Politicians
are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against
them.
Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are
against deficits, why we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and
high taxes, why we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.
The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court
justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally,
and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was
created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty
to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central
bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They
have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman,
or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer
a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept
or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's
responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what
they did is not their fault. ; They cooperate in this common con regardless
of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount
of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood
up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only
propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole respo nsibility
to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations
and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority
party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget
they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they
agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace
545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and
irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable
directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545
people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that
what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ .
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan
not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire
and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they
can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from
whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the
belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy,"
"inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing
what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people,
and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they
alone, have the power.
They, and they
alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided
the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote
all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Charlie Reese
is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
What you do
with this article now that you have read it is up to you, though you appear
to have several choices.
1. You can
agree to vote against everyone that is currently in office, knowing that the
process will take several years.
2. You can
decide to run for office yourself and agree to do the job properly.
3. Lastly,
you can sit back and do nothing, or re-elect the current bunch.
****************
I know this really
is not Union related other than we allow a handfull of " Managers"
to make our lives a living hell and we do nothing about it just like we do
nothing about the 545. Have we in America bacome so apathetic we do not even
try to protect ourselves?? Is our willingness to accept IBM's corporate slavery
just an extension of our willingness to accept Government slavery? I for one
resent being taxed so my tax money can be sent to another country as aid.
If I want to make a charitable contribution to feed people in another country
it should be my choice, not taxed from my pocket to send overseas. We can
lower oil prices very easily. Charge the appropriate amount for a bushel of
wheat or corn or rice to match a barrel of oil. Betcha other nations will
get tired of not eating long before we get tired of walking. The world thinks
of us as suckers. We give away our food, our money, now our jobs and we line
up to protest wearing fur. -Exodus2007-
Comment
08/13/08:
I've been freed from IBM. Pretty darn happy now I can move on. I stood up for
beleiving that you can't take any more pay cuts and go with the flow while being
starved of raises and a future to look foward to. I think they need to erect
a statue in there of me. ;) We need more die hards like me to overthrow the
communists. -fresh paint-
Comment
08/12/08:
Interesting article on CNN this morning about IBM and the mobility@work initiative.
I am in the midst of navigating IBM's new corporate cell phone program and the
crux of the issue is that IBM does NOT intend to provide me with additional
functionality beyond telephony. I guess this article falls in the category of
things IBM can sell, but does NOT intend to use. Here's the link.... http://bigtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/08/08/ibm-makes-mobile-push/
-gadfly-
Comment
08/11/08:
ALL of your personal data....Name, Social Security #, Birth date, Address is
now residing in Manila with the new IBM payroll help desk. This is in a country
with known terrorist groups working. These groups have been known to steal American
identities to gain access to the United States. You ARE ALL IN SERIOUS RISK.
Meanwhile ...none of the officers data was moved over there. You all should
be escalating this to HR NOW! -ID Theft Coming!-
Comment
08/11/08:
To -Exodus2007- You know what gets taken away next? Your JOB! When
are people going to wake up. Join the union. Get word out to your co-workers,
build the ranks. Don't let IBM treat you (and me) like this anymore. You ask
how much lower they will sink? Look at what they are doing. No one stops them,
so they keep on taking. The only way it will stop is if we organize and stand
up for ourselves. Until that time, we will continue to be squeezed until the
last ounce is dry. Then they will toss us out in favor of workers in some foreign
land. -miss
understanding-
Comment
08/10/08:
Sam's dealing in China: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=our_ceos_their_foreign_agents
-Sharecropper-
Comment
08/10/08:
Like -another exibmer- and so many others, I was let go a year ago after 8 years
also. I was chosen because I wasn't the managers pet. I also have a new job,
and my manager always thanks me for doing a good job. I've gotten more time
off around holidays, bonuses at christmas, company gifts at thanksgiving, etc.
Once you are out of IBM you realize that life doesn't have to be like that.
You don't have to worry about your job, constantly be threatened by an idiot
manager. It's better on the outside. -justanother_exibm'r-
Comment
08/09/08:
WOW. Can you believe the audacity of IBM thinking they can get away with cutting
shift pay like that. Just because they have cut OTMIA ( the old overtime meal
inconvenience allowance of $3.25 they used to pay if you worked 2 hours past
your stop time.) Rotational premiums. Medical for free. Double time for Sundays.
15 percent base pay cuts for those band 8 folks . Done away with IBM Clubs.
Done away with Family dinners. Done away with quarter century luncheons at 5
year intervals. And I am sure many other things I have failed to mention and
still a union has not been voted in how dare they think they will get away with
this also. I wonder what gets taken away next? -Exodus2007-
Comment
08/07/08:
You've actually met your manager and coworkers in your new company? wow! I have
worked with a bunch of voices for the past 12 years. Fortunately, occassionally,
a voice willl state his or her name, and eventually I can learn their accent,
tone of voice, inflection, so he or she isn't completely anonymous. -wow-another
exibmer-
Comment
08/07/08:
To Happy blue and ex-ibmer - I also worked for IBM for 8 years before being
laid off. I luckily found a job at about 10% less than what I was making at
IBM, but in a lower cost of living area. I now live in a medium sized town in
the southwest and wouldn't even consider working for IBM again at twice the
pay. I've had it with that type of management. My managers here have done something
that IBM didn't do in the entire 8 years, they actually came by my office and
thanked me for doing a good job. I even got a pay raise on my first evaluation.
They really seem glad to have me here, unlike IBM where you are just another
animal in the slaughter house and expendable. -another exibmer-
Comment
08/07/08:
Burlington VT plant is a friggin hell hole. We no longer make anything for IBM
computers anymore. Only chips for toy games and phones. Really terrible. There
is no fun in my job anymore. Everything lean six sigma. Lean this and lean that.
We've been cut to the bone and there is no meat to be lean anymore. I hate my
job. I hate everything about IBM. I hate what fat cat IBM executives have done
to me. Sammy Palmacrapo can go to hell. -Joe B-
Comment
08/06/08:
Poor busy bee workers who work so hard for IBM (read the comments!!!) ->POK
Journal story link -Disappointed with IBM-
Comment
08/06/08: We
were told yesterday that IBM is concerned that WE have been doing a poor job
managing our Work Life Balance, IBM is concerned about this and if we do not
immediately take steps to correct it, IBM will by instituting AWS and making
Saturdays and Sundays regular work days along with 2nd and 3rd shift. No mention
was made that this is a veiled effort to curtail OT work, the manager told us
he was barred from mentioning those three words, that everyone knew this was
refering too. So now we are to push back to customers, accept that if we have
to apply security patches to servers on Saturday and Sundays that we will be
working the entire day as a regular day or take a similar number of hours off
on another day. What a joke this company has become, taking millions in tax
incentives from our states, selling off jobs to any country that wants them.
Bottom line if the job you are doing is being done remotely, then it can be
done from anywhere in the world. And it will be gone soon. -Soon To Be
Gone IBMer-
Comment
08/06/08: AWS
pay CUT at IBM semiconductor plants. http://www.manufacturing.net/article.aspx?id=165384
-pissed-
Comment
08/06/08:
Think it can't happen again, then read this: IBM to cut pay for some
workers
http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/08/06/ibm_to_cut_pay_for_some_workers?mode=PF
-MyThoughts-
Comment
08/06/08: Shift
premium to be eliminated for Burlington manufacturing employees: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/NEWS01/80805029
-a-
Comment
08/06/08: I
have been hearing rumors that something is brewing in the microelectronics division
again. Today one of my friends there told me that he had lost his AWS pay. Has
anyone else been told about losing AWS or any other pay related stipend? The
posting from Disgusted beyond belief on 8/4 has me a little concerned. I am
a field service rep and am on standby once a week and also 5 days straight during
my once every four week rotation. I'm sure I'd walk out the door if they took
that away from me. -Fed Up-
Alliance reply: Why not walk in the door wearing an Alliance@IBM
T-shirt? Join us and get others
to join. Fight back!
Comment
08/06/08: Disgusted
beyond belief, our manager gave us pretty much the same news as well today.
The big exception was that our standby time was not eliminated. Since my entire
(original) team was outsourced, I am the only one left on my account, and I'm
on hotpager at all times, so maybe that is why they are letting me keep the
standby time. But this is going to make it impossible to make plans for anything.
But, as long as I get to choose which days I have off, I think I'll be choosing
the days with the most meetings and conference calls. So if it seems that I
have to cancel my call with you every week, you'll know why! (Don't know how
long it will be before I have to get approval for which days I take off) We
are now expected to work 0 overtime, unless paged out for a SEV1 issue, or to
work on a specific project with a deadline that is drawing very near.
-LowlySA-
Comment
08/06/08: Happy
Blue, I was employed by IBM for 12 years. I started in 1996 and from 1996 -
2001 I got ALL 2 RATINGS on my PBC I worked in IN my first 7 on a commercial
account with managers who had 25 plus years of service with IBM and knew how
to respect their employees. I moved to VT in 2001 and my 1st 4 years were fine.
Then I ran into 2 first time women mgrs. who were totally worthless. All they
cared about was climbing the corp. ladder. I got my 1st 3 PBC rating in 2006
from my 1st women mgr. and I got a 2 rating in 2007. I switched jobs 6/07 and
by Nov. by 2nd women mgr. said I wasn't doing good and I would be getting a
3 and had to find a job at the end of 07 or I would get offered a perf. package.
I showed her the PBC web page which clearly states you have to have 2 3 ratings
to get let go and her HR person( who by the way is a CONTRACTOR) NOT EVEN AN
IBM'er told her she could do it. I worked with the HR Tech. Lead in Burlington
and she wanted me to file an appeal because she totally disagreed with my mgr.
and the other HR person. At that point I didn't want to lose my measly 13 weeks
sev. so I found another job paying 40% less. I called my old mgr. in IN who
now has about 40 years of service and he convinced me to contact HR in Armonk
the day I left before 5. I worked with a women there for about 3 months and
I sent her over 10 pages of documentation on my mgr. and even told her I talked
with the person who said they were getting hired and they still sided with her.
I taked to a lawyer and he said I had a case but then again you know the IBM
rule - you go to a lawyer you lose your severance. I am ok with it all now.
I feel very bad every time I read another article in the newspaper or see something
on the news about how IBM is totally screwing the employees in Burlington. My
advice to anyone there who has there 30 years and can retire is to hit the door
running and don't look back. You can always get a part time job if you are bored.
My mgmt. at the hospital is absolutely wonderful and I wouldn't take a job back
if they offered me more money. -ex-ibmer-
Comment
08/05/08: SSR's,
AKA C.E.s have been on call 24 x7 their entire careers. It sounds like they
are setting up the scenario of no shift personnel scheduled and everything will
be handled with callouts. But no overtime and your SDO will depend on if the
managers pet took a callout because he or she will get the choice of what day,
usually a friday for a three day weekend and the rest get whatever day they
can squeeze in. Standby, callouts, overtime, rights of refusal are all things
defined in a union contract. One of my accounts was Bethlehem Steel Sparrows
Point and their contract called for overtime to be offered by seniority. Meaning
senior, more expensive men had first shot at the overtime. It helped keep proper
staffing on shifts as the company could not force all the overtime onto the
cheaper younger workers and run them into the ground. I used to scoff at some
of the union rules like that but as IBM became employee vicious it suddenly
seemed a pretty damn good idea. It would amaze you the depth of things like
this a union can define in a contract for YOUR protection and benefit. A union
contract can specify say 50 dollars per month for every year of service, Doesn't
sound like much but 30 years would give you 18000 per year pension. not a fortune
but nice to have. Things like this we have allowed to slip past us somehow waiting
for the CEO in shining armor to come to our rescue and restore our past benefits.
Folks it just is not going to happen. We have to be our own hero's and stand
up for ourselves. No one who supports unionizing is looking to bankrupt the
company. We are just looking to be treated fairly in salary, benefits, retirements
and work hours. At what point in America did indentured servitude come back
into style? When IBM bullies you and tells you're lucky you have a job, they
are basically saying they OWN you. Vote for freedom today. Join the CWA. -Exodus2007-
Comment
08/05/08: Our
dept was just told today along with all other AWS workers that the AWS pay will
be eliminated Jan 2009. They bumped base slightly to seem less painful. What
a freaking joke. -Ticked OFF-
Comment
08/05/08: Group
Files Suit to Halt State's Grants to Businesses. I saw the link to this story
on the Yahoo site for IBM employees. http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/407026.html
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmemployeeissues/message/10318
It will be interesting to see how the recently inked IBM/NY deal at the link
below will be affected.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121615857518656061.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
-a-
Comment
08/05/08: I
was watching CNBC today and they had some Airlines people on talking about the
changes being made for a airline passengers. They now charge for food, beverages,
pillows, blankets, extra bags...just about everything. One of the Airline's
PR guys said that this is to be expected; after all, Greyhound charges for food,
beverages, and other amenities as well as Amtrak and the rest of the Railroad
industry. His point was that the airlines "gave" these things away
free, in the past, to attract customers to fly. Now the air lines don't need
to do that, because of the high demand for air travel. It sounded to me like
just another argument against "entitlements". This is the argument
that big business has been making for some time. And they have been taking away
"entitlements" from their employees since the 1990's or before. So
I guess that means we should all stop flying, stop buying gas, stop living like
the spoiled Americans that we are...right? We shouldn't expect good wages, or
any pensions, medical coverage, or vacation, sick leave, or anything that we
USED to get to attract us to working for companies like IBM...right? I mean,
we have a lot of gall, don't we? Well..if everyone really DID stop being the
'over consuming' consumer then business would begin to fail rapidly. Millions
of jobs would be lost. The economy would tank at record speed....And lo and
behold, business would again start marketing and trying to attract customers
all over again... Maybe I've oversimplified this; but it sure seems like this
is the part of the cycle that we're in right now. -Just thinkin-
Comment
08/05/08: Yes,
Management today told employee's at the East Fishkill and its Albany NY project
that the AWS work pay salary will be eliminated. Meaning up to a 18% reduction
in salary. Working 10 hour days and not getting paid a premium for it .. Management
has told their people to keep this information internal before decision is formalized
. -Another pay cut-
Comment
08/04/08: My
dept. was told today that standby pay has been eliminated and that overtime
must average 5 hours/employee per week WITHIN THE DEPT. That does NOT mean,
however, that all employees will get 5 hours of overtime. If one dept. member
has to work 10 hours of overtime, then that's 5 hours less that are available
to others. All overtime must be pre-approved. If you have to work overtime on
Saturday or Sunday, then that becomes your "workday" and you take
another day off during the week. For example....you submit a request for 4 hours
of overtime to apply some security patches. Someone has a sev 1 that requires
them to work an extra 4 hours, so your 4 hours of overtime is eliminated. Managers
have to juggle this day to day, making decisions about who gets overtime and
how much. My manager explained to us that if they don't meet their requirements,
an RCA is opened and they have to answer to senior management about why. BFD.
Like I give damn that he has to answer to senior management. This applies even
if you're on call. If you 're on call and get paged on Saturday or Sunday then
it 's expected that you will now work 8 hours that day(s) to officially make
it a work day, and you'll take days off during the week. Which means, of course,
that when you're on call, you can't plan anything since you have no idea what
days off you'll have. I'm on call EVERY OTHER WEEK!!! So week to week I'll have
no idea what days off I might have. Want to go to that barbecue Saturday? Nah,
forget it....you got paged at 6am, so now your ass is working until 2pm.
They weaseled around the standby pay because the law says you have to
pay standby pay if employees are required to respond to a call within one hour.
IBM says that there are "no financial penalties" to IBM if we don't
respond within an hour, so therefore, we aren't officially REQUIRED to respond
within that hour. The contract I work on states that response time is 15 minutes
for all severities. Calling the help desk and opening the ticket constitutes
"response within 15 minutes", so that's how they get around that,
the bastards. However, we're still expected to meet the SLA's (4 hours resolution
for sev 1, for instance). I didn't know I had it in me to be this angry. I'm
interested to know if/when others get this news. -Disgusted beyond belief-
Comment
08/04/08: to
ex-ibmer- burlington is on its way out....just read the writings on the wall
forcing the TOYOTA WAY, 5s & LEAN down our throats ! we are sinking slowly
be glad your out management here is a joke -vtibmer-
Comment
08/04/08:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121761989739205497.html
-Anonymous-
Comment
08/04/08: Think
about HR with this analogy. You want to buy a house, the listing realtor (although
nice and friendly) tells you that they are working for the seller. HR works
for the seller. -a resource-
Comment
08/03/08:
Thanks! This is some
great info that is getting out now. I appreciate the note you posted from Anonymous
regarding the Free Choice Act. I had not realized there were such anti-union
folks trying to permeate the board. It's good to hear their side too, since
it allows us to make better informed choices! -miss understanding-
Alliance reply: We get a few of these kinds of comments, from time to time;
but we don't post them all because they are not members and don't ever plan
to be. In most cases the comments are either flagrant union
busting or just anti-union employees that will never join a union. That's their
choice, and we respect that; however, it is apparent by their comments that
they don't respect us or our right to form and/or join a union. Every once in
a while though, these kinds of comments need to be put here for the same reason
that you already mentioned.
Comment
08/03/08:
It
amazes me that anyone in this day and age would believe that IBM's Human Resources
Department could do anything BUT back IBM's position. This is no longer a company
where respect for the individual is part of its motto; where an IBM club exists
and is funded to plan fun family events to make employees and their families
happy to be part of the big blue family. There is no protection within IBM anymore.
Any wink and nod agreement with a manager is not worth the paper it was not
written on. How can you do financial planning not knowing what your raise will
be, or your performance bonus, or if your pay will be cut with a reclassification.
How can you go into a long term debt like a mortgage not knowing if you will
get a new boss who dislikes you in a few years who will trump up a case to surplus
you and you have no where to turn for help defending yourself. A union contract
will not only define raises, pensions,benefits but also how layoffs will be
administered, how seniority will be defined, How training will be allocated,
how performance measurements will be administered. How can this leveling of
the playing field be detrimental to employees? In many unions training becomes
the union's problem. Unions run schools for members in most trades. The companies
define the skills they want and need. The union trains its members to fill those
needs. Sounds like a win win scenario to me as cost of training is one of the
things IBM whines about. As the few folks left, who are hanging on just to get
to their frozen pensions leave; the rest better look long and hard at what the
future holds for your own retirements and lifestyles. A union really is the
only sane answer. You cannot spend potential earnings. You cannot save potential
earnings. You cannot budget with inflation running rampant and no cost of living
raises. Its survival time. Join the Union. -Exodus2007-
Alliance reply: Thank you, Exodus2007, for saying what we have been saying from
the beginning. The only additional point that we continue to make is that joining
the union is the first step. Organizing co-workers
and taking the time to talk with them about what they can expect from a union
contract versus what IBM tries to scare them into thinking, is the next step.
Organizing is the best weapon against the vitriolic venom that is released,
like a deluge, on IBM employees every time the subject comes up. It's called
union busting; and it will rear its ugly face to IBM employees, sooner or later.
Organizing helps to inoculate employees
against the company's tactics...and IBM has more than a bag full... You can
be sure of that. Thank
you for continuing to help Alliance@IBM get the word out; and continuing to
organize outside of the company. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Comment
08/02/08:
Why don't you provide details about that "Employee Free Choice Act"
that the union crooks and the Democrats are proposing. Nothing like eliminating
the secret ballot during unionization drives. What will be next? Eliminating
the secret ballot in our election process so the Democrats and the union flunkies
can make sure you don't cast your vote the wrong way? Unions are outdated and
hurt workers. All that unions do in this day and age is shill for the Democrats.
I'm not buying the manure that you guys are selling. -Anonymous-
Alliance reply: Your post is pretty harsh. Even so, you are misinformed about
some facts. First, the Employee Free Choice Act legislation reveals that the
bill does NOT eliminate secret ballot elections. The Employee Free Choice Act
gives workers the chance to choose their union formation process; using either
elections or majority sign-up. Second, Union Elections are NOT
equal to Federal elections. Here's an example:
Union
Elections vs.
Federal Elections
| Democratic Election Standard |
Federal Elections |
NLRB Elections
|
| Equal Access to Media |
Yes |
No |
| Freedom of Speech |
Yes |
No |
| Equal Access to Voters |
Yes |
No |
| Voters Free of Coercion |
Yes |
No |
| Campaign Finance Regulation |
Yes |
No |
| Timely implementation of the Voters will |
Yes |
No |
| Secret Ballot |
Yes |
Yes
|
You have been
misinformed and are simply trying to misinform visitors to this board.
We chose to
print your one post, because the members need to see what kind of misinformation,
venom, and hatred is out there being used to scare people away from speaking
up and standing up; if they want to form and/or join a union. Unions don't hurt
workers, corporations like IBM do that, quite efficiently. The evidence of that,
is here on our comments sections, very clearly, for all to see.
Comment
08/01/08:
re/Happy Blue quote "Also HR should be on the employee side; but I have
usually found the employee did not have any or sufficent documentation."
-
HR and the manager attacking the employee don't want the employee to
have sufficient documentation. All they do a good portion of their day is assemble
libel against the targeted employee. The employee meanwhile has to do their
job all day keeping customers happy. If the employee wants to fight back they
have to prepare it in the evenings on their own time; they simply don't have
the multiple headcount resources that IBM is using against them. No matter how
much documentation an employee has, HR and the attacking manager will claim
it's not sufficient and that they have more. -just the fax-
Comment
08/01/08:
ex-ibmer:
I won't BS you here, but I would need some more info on what happened. How long
had you been employed by IBM and how were your last PBC ratings. Usually a manager
will rank their employees and look at the bottom 5%. Those employee's will be
considered for a PBC 3 with the bottom 3% targeted for MIS. Also I see there
was a posting of the famous PBC 2 managed out of the business presentation.
This is a throw back to the Jack Walsh management style of always turning over
the bottom performers and backfilling with new of higher performing people.
So I am thinking that you were a target and this manager had a person she knew
that she thought was a better asset to the department. Based on that the tactic
was to let you dig your own grave so that she could get rid of you without an
HR issue. Also HR should be on the employee side; but I have usually found the
employee did not have any or sufficent documentation. Usually a manager starts
documentation on an employee starting after the PBC. Most have a track record
on how you performed and whether you were a team player. So thats a broad view
of what you asked but as I said without specific's it's hard to tell why you
were pushed out. Good luck with your new job. -Happy
Blue-
Alliance reply: It may be fair to say that HR is 'rarely' on the employee's
side when it comes to anything involving job loss. HR's job is to control human
resources in favor of the company's interest... not the employee. That's why
a union contract precisely DOES favor the employee thereby leveling and balancing
workplace issues such as job cuts, etc.
Comment
08/01/08:
This
article pertains to WAL-Marts dim view of the Employee Free Choice Act. If this
bill were to pass, would it affect IBM? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121755649066303381.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news
-miss understanding-
Alliance reply:
If the EFCA passes, it will help to encourage growth in union membership and
make it easier to join a union by alleviating the fear of reprisal and harassment
that companies now practice to bust unions (see
these videos) and scare their employees. All companies practicing fear tactics
and illegal harassment will be affected by the passage of the EFCA.
The EFCA is not, however, a silver bullet. Employees wanting to form a union;
still need to organize and stand strong. The NLRB needs to be balanced and not
weighted in favor of business.. this is controlled by the "sitting"
President of the US. The US courts need judges that are not indirectly rewarded
for ruling, on NLRB appeals, in favor of business. The EFCA contributes to a
level playing field; but it is not a total leveler in and of itself. YOU still
need to organize.
Comment
08/01/08:
Just
to clear the air here, I believe ALL managers in IBM US know of the Alliance
web site but usually don't look into it. From my understanding most of the 1st
&2nd levels don't feel a need to . I do believe it is looked at buy some
of the Sr. levels staff grunts but only to see what is being said. There does
not seem to be a concern based on the low responce of the employee's to join.
So my net is it is not being taken serious . The show at the stock holders meeting
was not even recognized by the management team and the corp. exec's. Most of
the fliers dissapear from the cafe tables and people who try to promote either
the union or web site are watched. Both HR and the IBM labor folks always look
into this just to keep a pulse on different topics. Also based on casual discussions
I have had or heard there are a very small % of employees that even consider
or mention a union. I never had a need to look at this site while employed but
took a quick look after I left. Just a point of view here but based on the negative
comments expressed by people here the management team considers the comments
coming from poor or marginal performers. Don't shoot me for the comments. I
am just giving you the thought process of the management team. I can only offer
the point of view from the management position. You should also remember that
due to the dual ladder opportunity in IBM any employee has the capability to
become a manager. That still has been a positive force in hiring the college
group. I'll share my knowledge; but based on my plans for down time I will not
be on the site much. I have been out for a month and still get calls from my
past employees. The difficult part is not getting a few hundred emails a day.
-Happy Blue-
Alliance reply: "IBM labor folks" a euphemism for paid
union busters (see these videos).
Comment
07/31/08:
Happy Blue, I have a question for you. I was let go in January because
my manager wanted to hire her friend from another dept. I worked with HR in
Armonk to try to fight it. If HR is suppose to support their employees why do
they always side with mgmt? I called her friend my last day with IBM and he
even admitted to me she told him there was going to be an opening in our dept.
even when there were no postings. Then she told me after only 6 months on the
job I didn't fit in. She wasn't even willing to work with me on a performance
plan? Typically mgmt. B.S. at IBM. Things worked out for me. Even though I took
at 40% cut in pay I have no stress and don't have to deal with the worthless
managers at Burlington anymore! -ex-ibmer-
Comment
07/30/08:
We
the people have been sold the stupid pill via many sources. For example, we
were told it was an advantage for our children to travel to other countries.
So, we sent them off to show shoes, ...gadgets, to the world. The smiling Americans..
It was all a ploy to help corporations enter foreign markets. It was printed
right in one of my text books for International Business. The Gov put the requirement
on colleges and we packed their bags (made sure the tooth retainer was included)
and sent them off. Wake up people, and join this union. Funny thing; the news
has very little coverage on WTO. Since 1990 the only thing that has increased
in those developing countries has been population. Meanwhile we have been sold
the "idea" of sharing the wealth. -skiprock-
Comment
07/30/08:
j.
ditoro agrees to a free press interview it did not make me feel any better about
keeping my job much longer we lost two more in wafer test on tuesday...dead
slow here..probably have to move to ny someday to keep a job -vtibmer-
Comment
07/30/08:
uberunion,
Lou Dobbs covered this topic tonight. His take was more ominous. The meetings
are secretive and what was VERY nearly traded was more access to global markets
at the expense of more US jobs. They were negotiating US immigration deals.
Who freakin' gave the WTO that authority? -NewsKeepsGettingWorse-
Comment
07/29/08:
Check
this story out:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080729/wto_trade_talks.html
Guess things ain't working out so well for the "Globalists"
eh? This would be a good time to accelerate the organizing efforts within IBM.
At least consider; that if the the old 'pendulum swings', that it would be an
advantage to have a union contract negotiated, when the chickens come home to
roost....possible? -uberunion-
Comment
07/27/08:
Happy
Blue: Yes, please join us. Join the Alliance with us. $5 or $10 a month is that
too much to ask? -anonymous-
Comment
07/24/08:
I
agree with anonymous - Don't pick on Happy Blue. It's always great to see another
convert. Perhaps he can help when it comes to clarifying what IBM is really
up to and what mgmt is thinking. I'd like to welcome Happy Blue. -miss
understanding-
